Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun

 PC
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 404 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 342 out of 404
  2. Mixed: 37 out of 404
  3. Negative: 25 out of 404

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  1. albertpross
    May 20, 2018
    6
    Good foundation but suffers from poor level design. Other than the first two levels, every level is built approximately the same. There is one linear starting path where you can only kill enemies in a specific order. Then you get to decide between two linear paths filled with choke points where you can only kill enemies in one specific order, separated by short linear hallways.

    The    Good foundation but suffers from poor level design. Other than the first two levels, every level is built approximately the same. There is one linear starting path where you can only kill enemies in a specific order. Then you get to decide between two linear paths filled with choke points where you can only kill enemies in one specific order, separated by short linear hallways.

    The only "strategy" in the game is which tool you choose to kill. The whole game becomes finding the enemy you have to kill first, second, third, etc. And it would be fine if there were linear paths, choke points, hallways and threads of enemies that must be killed in one specific order, and it would even be fine if it was just Y path every level... if there were anything else to the game. But there isn't. It just takes away all creativity and well, tactics from the game. It's a puzzle game; the pieces only fit one way.    … Expand
  2. Wolwgang
    Dec 6, 2016
    5
    This is not a stealth game where you can execute an objective in many different ways. Here, you have only 1 solution, and you need to find it. This game is so linear that it almost hurts. I advise you to search for a better stealth game to play. Stay away at all costs.
  3. kch3691
    Mar 29, 2018
    5
    Awkward controls and bad voice acting made me loose patience with this one quickly.
  4. pawq
    Jun 4, 2023
    7
    My first game of this kind, so I don't have much to compare it to, but it was definitely fun and engaging. Every aspect of the game seems really well-designed, from level design and aesthetic design, through the interfaces, music, challenges/achievements, to the rather small but engaging story. Optimal difficulty level in most places as well, which can't have been easy to achieve, with howMy first game of this kind, so I don't have much to compare it to, but it was definitely fun and engaging. Every aspect of the game seems really well-designed, from level design and aesthetic design, through the interfaces, music, challenges/achievements, to the rather small but engaging story. Optimal difficulty level in most places as well, which can't have been easy to achieve, with how much you can do with the few tools available to the characters. Still, despite being mostly pleasant and engaging, it wasn't really an unforgettable experience. Maybe need to be a fan of the genre!… Expand
  5. michaelb1928
    Mar 26, 2019
    6
    ilable, and in fact there are challenges set for each mission which will encourage you to try different methods to collect all the badges. Stealth obviously plays a key part, but if y
  6. MaxmilianKohler
    Feb 14, 2020
    5
    It was fine to start with, but as I played on I ran into some annoying things that seem like they could have been identified and remedied by a simple playthrough.

    The game gets progressively worse and makes progressively less sense. Seemingly bugginess and inconsistencies & nonsensical design get quite annoying. To the point where I uninstalled it half way through.
  7. JZStudios
    Jun 1, 2020
    6
    Shadow Tactics would be fun if the camera and controls weren't so not great. It ends up being frustrating. You can hold ctrl to kill and immediately grab an enemy and then drag him to a nearby bush, but if you ctrl click an enemy and ctrl click a bush to drop the body, it just doesn't work. You have to let go of ctrl, or mash the **** out of the mouse button 5 or 6 times before it actuallyShadow Tactics would be fun if the camera and controls weren't so not great. It ends up being frustrating. You can hold ctrl to kill and immediately grab an enemy and then drag him to a nearby bush, but if you ctrl click an enemy and ctrl click a bush to drop the body, it just doesn't work. You have to let go of ctrl, or mash the **** out of the mouse button 5 or 6 times before it actually gets the command to drop the body. It's really annoying when I'm being spotted in a bush and all I have to do is drop the body but the game just won't goddamn do it.

    Another fun thing is that bushes make you invisible, but only sometimes. I have no **** clue why. I can sit in a bush for 5 minutes, not move, have enemies walk past me, all is fine. And then just for some **** reason some random schmuck just immediately spots me out of nowhere. I'd be okay with them finding you during an alarm, but the game actively tells you to jump in a bush to stop a pursuit, so even then it seems bull**** and acts like it's broken.

    Speaking of attacking and bushes, you'd think the primary method of eliminating enemies would be surprise attacks, but when you whistle them over to a bush and then attack them, sometimes but not always, they'll just lay eyes on you and damage you. I guess they're superman or cyclops, because there's no attack animation or anything for them, they just straight damage you with eye lasers.

    I've done 5 or 6 levels (of 13), and while I'll say that for the most part it allows you to do things your own way, I've never had such a hard time trying to figure out what exactly the intended route is and what the game wants from me in a lot of situations. It has a bunch of bonus challenges per level, and I guess you don't need to do them all at the same time (Most you can't because it's different entry/exit points) but some of them I just don't get how they could be done. I really like stealth games but this one can be kind of frustrating, and the enemy vision cone is basically larger than yours so you're constantly being seen by enemies off screen.

    Enemies randomly spotting you in bushes is really annoying when you control 3 or more characters and they all get spread out, so you plant one in a bush for safe keeping and play another character, and then for no good **** reason they get spotted by an enemy. It's horse****. I ended up just save scumming which is not a gameplay style I particularly like.    … Expand
  8. elefsar
    Apr 22, 2021
    7
    Good game play, sometimes not fluent, a good puzzle game, sometimes i got bored.

Awards & Rankings

29
#29 Best PC Game of 2016
58
#58 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
30
#30 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 40 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 40
  3. Negative: 0 out of 40
  1. The Digital Fix
    Sep 11, 2017
    90
    A remarkably strong challenge of your tactical skills hides some wonderful world-building and character-driven storytelling that helps this game really stand out.
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  2. GamingTrend
    Aug 15, 2017
    90
    An excellent and challenging update to a familiar formula, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is one of those games that makes you cheer at your well-planned success when everything goes off without a hitch, and groan at your own poor planning when it doesn’t. It gets so much right, that the relentless difficulty, and slightly less gorgeous console port can’t mar its beauty. This one snuck up on me, and I couldn’t be more glad that it did.
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  3. Game Debate
    Mar 12, 2017
    90
    For fans of real-time tactics and stealth games, Shadow Tactics is very nearly without compare. It’s that same classic Commandos gameplay wrapped up in an exquisite new shell; still punishing yet not cruel.
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